The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Fortunately, they only exist in this place now.

Tang Xixue said softly, looking at the surging black tide on the light screen.

She also realized just how terrifying the creatures were within this underwater city.

Each of those moths is only the size of a speck of dust and looks insignificant, but when they come together, their destructive power is truly terrifying.

They can devour a person in the blink of an eye, leaving only bones, and can devour all the living beings on an entire street in a short time.

"Those pale blue lights are very important."

Jiu Fangzhi then switched the image from the prism to the glass lamp under the eaves.

Within the light screen, the previously rampaging and volatile worms noticeably slowed down as they approached the area illuminated by the light.

The six wings that were originally vibrating at high speed gradually slowed down. They stopped frantically crashing and gnawing, and instead seemed to be gently soothed by something.

They simply lingered quietly around the perimeter of the light, and a few even landed on the stone steps under the lamp, folding their wings and entering a state similar to hibernation.

"The light from the lamps under the eaves is soothing them."

"So that's why every household has these lamps lit."

Tang Xixue glanced at the glass lamp in their room.

The flame, once lit, is a deep blue, as if it has sealed away the brilliant starry sky.

The flame was still flickering slightly, each flicker creating a blue halo that rippled outwards like waves on water, steadily keeping the chill and darkness of the room out of the window.

These are no ordinary lights; they are a barrier protecting this deserted city from the locusts.

She suddenly remembered the scene she had seen in the square earlier.

Many people gathered under the white jade statue, using all sorts of containers to collect the blue star essence from the fountain.

The spiritual essence flowed from the fingertips of the statue, gurgling into the pool and emitting a soft light in the air, like crushed stars.

"It is the Star Essence in the hands of the Flowing Cloud Medicine God."

There was a hint of understanding in her voice.

"It's also what's burning in this lamp."

"Tomorrow we'll also go and collect some spirit marrow, just in case."

Jiu Fangzhi nodded, having no objection to her judgment.

"To explore this city, we must first deal with the threat of the Erosion Moth. And the Spirit Marrow is the most important strategic resource."

He had already started making plans in his mind.

The amount of spiritual essence, the structure of the lamp, and the activity patterns of the moth.

"Based on current observations, the mealy borer should be a nocturnal creature."

"Yes, but it's also possible that they can come out during the day; we'll have to keep observing them."

Tang Xixue nodded, confirming his words.

Jiu Fangzhi gives people a particularly reliable feeling. Despite being a wicked and sinister ghost doctor, Tang Xixue doesn't feel afraid at all; instead, she feels very at ease.

"I've left recording stones in various places; we'll observe their patterns of movement later."

"Senior brother, you've really thought this through. Let's ask that old woman tomorrow; perhaps she can provide us with some clues."

Outside the window, the black fog was still wandering around.

The glass lanterns hanging in front of every household have their flames flickering gently, as if this mysterious underwater ancient city is breathing.

"This city is home to ancient ferocious insects like the Eating Moth, as well as the relics and statues of the Flowing Cloud Medicine God. It is strange and unusual everywhere."

"We must be even more careful when we explore tomorrow."

"I wonder if we can find clues about the Glazed Immortal Palace here, as well as that mysterious Immortal Herb Garden."

Tang Xixue met Jiu Fangzhi's gaze. He seemed to be just glancing over casually, but she knew it wasn't; her senior brother had been watching her the whole time.

"Senior brother," she called out, "you just said that the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth... what is that?"

Jiu Fangzhi gently grasped the prism in his palm, and the intricate mechanism silently folded, reassembled, and returned to its original form, transforming into a small cube which he carefully tucked into his sleeve.

"A great calamity..."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and deep.

"It is a cleansing of all things by heaven and earth. When the world's fortune is unbalanced, cause and effect accumulate, and calamities reach their limit, the heavenly way will send down a great calamity to overturn everything and start anew."

His eyes lowered slightly.

"The erosion moths are a sign that a great calamity is about to arrive. Heaven and earth are decaying, so these things are created to clean up the rotting flesh."

Tang Xixue's fingertips curled slightly.

"Then we..." Her voice was a little strained.

"Us?" Jiu Fangzhi raised his eyes. "All we need to do is try our best to survive."

Tang Xixue gazed at him for a long time.

Then she nodded slightly without saying anything.

The rustling sound outside the window continued, like an endless lament.

But for some reason, her heart felt much calmer than before.

"It's too dangerous outside right now. Those Corrosive Moths are as fine as dust and extremely difficult to eliminate. We should stay away from them. So, Junior Sister, you should get some rest."

Jiu Fangzhi spoke up.

"Senior brother."

"Um."

Aren't you going to sleep?

Jiu Fangzhi was slightly taken aback.

Tang Xixue looked at his still upright posture and clear eyes, and asked with a smile, a soft ripple spreading across her eyes.

"Senior brother, are you afraid to sleep? Are you afraid the door will be broken down if you fall asleep? Or are you afraid that if you fall asleep... I'll ambush you?"

"..."

Jiu Fangzhi's ear tips turned red instantly, visible to the naked eye.

"...Junior Sister."

"Um?"

The word "sneak attack" stirred up some inappropriate images in his mind.

He lowered his eyes, suppressing those chaotic thoughts one by one, his voice low and hoarse.

"I am not troubled, brother."

"But I'm sleepy."

Tang Xixue lifted the neatly folded thin quilt. The bedding had a faint, fresh scent of grass and wood, as if it had been sun-dried for a very long time and scented with the leaves of some kind of spiritual plant, which made people feel at ease.

She lay down, the pillow still carrying the same scent. She turned to face Jiu Fangzhi, who was sitting by the window, pulled the blanket up to her chin, leaving only her eyes showing, which sparkled as she gazed at him.

"Senior brother, you're sitting so far away. What if the black mist gets in through the window?"

Jiu Fangzhi glanced at the thin layer of ice crystals outside the window. The ice crystals were cracked, but not yet broken.

"Won't."

"What if?"

Tang Xixue blinked.

Jiu Fangzhi remained silent for a moment.

Then he stood up, picked up the glass lamp, walked to the bedside, and placed it on the small table by the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees, his posture as upright as if he were sitting on the throne of the emperor in the Golden Palace, receiving the homage of his ministers.

"Is it okay now?"

"Senior brother, how can you sleep sitting so upright?"

"I won't sleep, brother."

"So you'll watch me sleep?"

Tang Xixue's eyes crinkled into a smile, her tone laced with a hint of slyness.

"……Um."

Jiu Fangzhi responded with a soft voice, almost inaudible.

He pushed the glass lamp closer to her, bringing the light closer, and then reached out to tuck the blanket she had already tucked in again.

It was already quite secure, but he still couldn't resist tucking it in a little more.

Tangxi Xue closed her eyes.

I could hear my senior brother breathing beside me.

Her breathing was steady and slow, as if she were afraid of disturbing her rest.

"Senior brother."

"Um."

"Aren't you really going to lie down? The bed is big."

Jiu Fangzhi's back stiffened for a moment.

"……No."

Why?

"Men and women are different."

"But I am your wife now."

Tang Xixue opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. His peach blossom eyes were full of laughter, and there was something that made one's heart flutter.

"The fake wife"

Jiu Fangzhi's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Even if she's just pretending, she's still your wife. If you're going to put on an act, do you understand, senior brother?"

Tang Xixue said confidently.

Jiu Fangzhi turned his head and met her eyes, which seemed to shimmer with a light as clear as moonlight.

He suddenly remembered that a long time ago, in the medicine hut behind the Divine Medicine Valley, his junior sister had looked at him in the same way.

At that time, she was in the medicinal herb field, holding a freshly dug snow-viewing herb, looking up at him and asking, "Senior brother, why does this herb look different from the one in the book?"

Back then, her eyes were like that too, clean and clear, without a trace of impurity.

His eyes lowered slightly, and then he lay down fully clothed.

His back remained ramrod straight, his hands clasped neatly in front of his abdomen, even the hem of his robe was pulled flat.

He lay on the outermost edge of the bed, with enough space between him and her for another person to lie down.

"Go to sleep," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

"Um."

Tang Xixue closed her eyes again and shrank further into the blankets.

The room fell silent.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Xixue's breathing gradually became long and steady.

Jiu Fangzhi turned his head to look at her.

This was the first time they had shared a bed.

Her eyelashes cast a small fan-shaped shadow under the light, her nose was straight and delicate, her lips were slightly pursed, and she slept peacefully and soundly.

Her hand emerged from under the covers and rested on the pillow, her fingers slightly curled, like a half-open flower.

He reached out, wanting to touch her fingertips, but stopped half an inch away.

The hand remained suspended in mid-air for a long time.

Then he withdrew his hand, placed it back in front of his abdomen, and closed his eyes.

Length of night.

It was enough for him to think about her slowly, over and over again.

Meanwhile, Bingyou was carrying Sixing, dangling below the lake, fleeing everywhere, with swarms of Erosion Moths following behind.